Sound-reproducing instrument



Feb. 25, 1930. B. KWARTIN SOUND REPRODUCING INSTRUMENT Filed May 24.192? z sheets-sheet 1 BERNARD KWARTIN Feb. 25, 1930. B. KWARTIN SOUNDREPRODUCING INSTRUMENT Filed May 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l J! Ivvlllll w u my. M m M 5 Patented Fa. 25, 1930 PA'FE T' OFFICE,

BERNARD KWARTIN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA SOUND-REPRODUGINGINSTRUMENT Application filed May 24, 1927. Serial No. 193,871;

This invention relates to sound reproducing instruments, such as talkingmachines, and more particularly to a regulator mechanism operable topermit the rendition of 5 compositions of greater length Withoutincreasing the diameters ofstandard size records now in use, or to statethis conversely, it is within the contemplation of this invention to beable to play records of a given diameter fog-a greaterlength of timethan is now possi le. y In talking machines of the present know type itis practically impossible to record or reproduce musical compositions ofany considerable length due to the fact that records of suflicient sizecannot be conveniently made and also to the fact thatthe talkingmachines themselves are notdesigned to accommodate records the diametersof whichare excessive. As a result it has been the common practiceeither-to abridge and otherwise condense the longer musicalcompositions, which has always been unsatisfactory to the appreciative Vlovers of good music, or else to provide'a H1111? tiple arrangement ofrecords designed to permit the records to be reproduced in succession,this latter expedient being subject to numerous mechanical and otherdisadvantages;

In the usual type of modern record the sound grooves are in the form ofa fiat spiral decreasing in diameter gradually from the outer peripherythereof to the center, and

' inasmuch as the speed of the record is constant the relative speedbetween the rpro ducing needle and the grooves of the record in which itmoves will be greater near the periphery of the record than at thecenter, this relative'speed being gradually decreased as the needlemoves toward said center, Obviously this means that in the vicinity ofthe center of the record the sound wave impressions which arecapable'of'being converted into sound waves are greater in averagenumber for each unit of length,-this'number for the same unit of lengthbeing gradually decreased as the record grooves increase in diameter.This increasing reduction in the average number of sound waveimpressions per unit of length as the grooves become greater in diameteris responsible for the present practice of providing records which areonly capable of reproducing compositions the time for reproduction ofwhich is relatively short.

In order to obviate the aforementioned objections and difiiculties inthe way of renderj edge of the record to the center thereof, these Igrooves differing from the usual grooves in that the averagenumberofsound waveimpressions remains constant for each unit of length of thegrooves regardless of their individual diameters, that is, the length orspacing, of the sound wave impression for any given noteis the same atall points in the record grooves.

In order to most effectively utilize such a record having a constantlength of impression for any given note regardless of the lattersposition upon the record it is necessary -to vary the speed of rotationof the record as the needle travels toward the center thereof and itaccordingly becomes a further object of this invention to so control thespeed of rotation of the record that exactly the same interval of timewill be required for the needle to pass over any givenlength of a grooveregardless of its location of the record.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a regulatingmechanism arranged to be operatively associated with the mechanism forimparting rotation to a record wherein the sound wave impression for anygiven noteis always of the same length whereby a record of givendiameter may be enabled to render compositions of consider ably greaterlength than has been heretofore possible.

Still another object of the invention is the u provision of a mechanismfor gradually increasing the speed of rotation of the record as thereproducing needle approaches the center thereof, said mechanismincluding means for automatlcally resetting it prior to rendering adifferent composition or the same one over again.

Still further the invention has as one of its objects the arrangement ofa mechanism for controlling the speed of rotation of the record, whichmechanism is capable of being readily thrown out of operation during therendering of a composition or at any other time so that records of theusual type may be rendered as desired. I 1

Other objects, and objects relating to details of construction andeconomy of operation, will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be explainedmore fully hereinafter, as illustrated in the drawings showing apreferred form of the invention, and finally" pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, which show for purposes of illustration a preferredembodiment of the principles of this invention Figure l is a top planview of a disk type of record, approximately one half of the recordshowing the usual form of record provided with the ordinary sound waveimpressions'and the other half showing the present form of recordwherein the average number of sound wave impressions is the same foreach unit of length;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus showing the regulatormechanism positioned below the turntable for supporting the record;

Figure 3 is a cross section view through the apparatus taken on the line3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the regulating mechanismproper;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the regulating mechanism shown in igure4;

Figure 6 is aview similar to Figure 5 but showing the parts of themechanism in nonoperative relation; and v Figure 7 is an end view of themechanism showing the means for resetting and maintaining the parts ofthe mechanism in operative relation;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of an apparatus showing .a modifiedarrangement of the regulator mechanism therein;

Figure 9 is a cross section View taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8; v

Figure 10 is. a top plan view of an apparatus showing still anothermodified arrangement of the regulator mechanism therein and Figure 11 isa cross section view taken on the line 11--11 of Figure 10.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1, it will besee'nthat the invention is predicated upon the use of a record of the. disktype and in which the soundwave 1m-' pressions corresponding to a glvennote are of the same length throughout the record. The record,designated generally by the reference at the center.

means numeral 10, is, for purposes of illustration, dividedsubstantially into two sections a and 72; section a showing the usualrecord and section 6 showing the form of record with which thisinvention is concerned. In the usual record it will be seen that thesound wave impressions are arranged in the form of a fiat spiral, thenumber of these impressions per unit of length being less as thediameters of the playing grooves increase, this being necessary due tothe fact that while the speed of rotation of the record remainssubstantially constant during the entire rendition of the compositiontherelative speed of the reproducing needle with respect to the record isgreater near the periphery of the record than This decreasing number ofsound wave impressions per unit of length as the diameters of theplaying grooves increase, is shown more or less diagrammatically insection a of the record shown in Figure 1.

On the other hand, the record with which this invention is concerned,while of the same general form as the record just described, difi'erstherefrom in that the average number of sound wave impressions per unitof length is substantially constant over the entire playing surface ofthe record. It will be evident that by choosing as the average number ofsuch impressions per unit of length that number' which is greatest inthe usual form of record, or in other words, by choosing a pitch betweenthe sound wave impressions ordinarily found only in the playing grooveof the'smallest diameter on the usual record, it becomes possible toprovide a record, the playing surface of which is provided with a muchgreater total number of sound wave impressions. This uniformity in theaverage number of sound wave impressions per unit of length over theentire playing surface of the record is illustrated more or lessdiagrammatically in section b of the record shown in Figure 1, and itwill be obvious that with such a record it will be possible to rendercompositions of considerably greater length than was possible heretoforewithout necessitating any increase in the size of records now in generaluse.

In order to most effectively utilize such a record having a constantaverage number of sound wave impressions per unit of length,

it is necessary to vary the speed of rotation of the record as thereproducing needle travels toward the center thereof so that exactly thesame interval of time will be required for the needle to pass over anygiven length of a playing groove regardless of its dismachine 11 abovethe upper surface of which is rotatably mounted the turn-table 12 forsupporting the record to be pla ed. This turn-table is actuated by theusua operating motor 13 suitably geared or otherwise connected to theturn-table shaft 14. This operating motor 13 is mounted in the usualmanner in compartment 15 provided below the turntable 12. Disposed toone side of and suitably geared to the motor 13 or to the turn-tableshaft 14 by a train of gears 16, 17 and 18 is a screw19, the gear 18being rigidly secured to the upper end of the screw 19 as most clearlyappears in Figure 3. This screw is rotatably supported at its upper endin any suitable manner such that upon rotation of the turn-table shaft14 the screw will also be rotated through the gears 17-18, it being ofcourse understood that any other means may be employedfor entraining thescrew with" the motor 13 'or the turn-table shaft 14.

Pivoted as at 20, upon a fixed support or bracket 20' is a leverdesignated generallyby the reference numeral 21, the ends of this leverprojecting in opposite directions from its pivotal point of suspension.The shorter branch 22 of this lever is provided with a spring pressedplunger or brake finger 23, the spring 24 tending normally toforce thehead 25 of the plunger upwardly" and into braking engagement with theturn-table 12 in the manner most clearly shown in Fig ure 3.

The longer branch 26 of the lever is preferably in the form of a pair ofpivotally connected arms 27 and 28 tending normally to be forced apartby the action of, a leaf spring 29 secured to the arm 28 with its freeend bearing against the opposite arm 27. Intermediate the ends of thearm 27-28 of the lever 21, are a pair of substantially semicircularmembers 30 and 31, the member 30 being pivotally supported upon the arm27 by a laterally extending bearing pin 32, and the member 31 being inturn, pivotally supported'upon the arm by a similar bearing pin 33.These bearing pins 32 and 33 project through suitable apertures providedin the arms 27 and 28 and are provided with enlargements on theirprojecting ends to prevent their being laterally displaced with re spectto said arms. Each of the members 30 and 31 are also provided withlongitudinally extending fingers 34, and to one of these fingers issecured a pin 35, the free end of which projects through the otherfinger in such manner as to eifectually preclude any possibility ofthese fingers being relatively shifted out of parallelism.

The members 30 and 31 are each interiorly threaded so that when the arms27- and 28 are in the position shown in Figure 5, the members constitutein effect a nut arranged to ride up on the screw 19 as the latterrotates in the manner above described. It will be apparent that as thisnut, consisting of the members 30 and 31, rides up on the screw 19 thelever 21 will turn on its pivot 20 to decrease the compressive forceexerted by the spring 24 upon the head 25 of the brake member so thatthe speed of rotation of the turntable may be increased as thereproducing needle approaches the center of the record. In order toinsure a vertical movement of the nut members 30 and 31 so that thecommon axis of the latter is atall times coaxial with the axis of thescrew 19 the arms 27 and 28 of the lever are provided with slots 36 toaccommodate the relative lateral displacement of these-arms with respectto the bearing pins 32 and 33 of the members 30 and 31 respectively;Also, in order to further insure positionment of the members 30 and 31such that their common axis is at all times maintained coincidental withthe axis of the screw 19, there is provided a leaf spring 37, one end ofwhich is fixed to the arm 27 as at 38 and the other and free end thereoffreely engages the end of the finger 34 of the member 30. This spring 37is designed to exert force in a direction to constantly maintain thefingers 34 extending in a direction substantially at right angles to thescrew 19, no matter whether the lever 21 be at the beginning or at theend of its stroke. In order to prevent the spring 37 from forcing thefingers 34 beyond the horizontal when the lever is in the position shownin Figures 3 and 4 a limiting stop 38 is provided, this stop projectinginwardly from the arm 28 and underlying both of the fingers 34.

During the normal upward travel of the lever arms 27-28, the members 30and 31 are of course maintained in threaded engagement with the screw19, this engagement being insured by means of a keeper 39 arranged toembrace the free ends of the arms 27 and 28. The free ends of these armsare of substantially reduced cross section but in the vicinity of thekeeper'39 are formed with enlarge ments 40 to provide; a greaterengaging surat 41 upon the outer side of one of these enlargements 40,the keeper being further provided with lateral extensions 42 and 43 forthe purpose to be presentlyexplained. In

the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 the fort upon the turntable 12 andaccordingly the speed of zrotation of the latter is lowest for' thisposition of the lever. As the lever turns upon its pivot 20 by theaction of the nut members 30-31 riding up on the rotating screw 19 thearm 22 of the lever is shifted in. a direction to decrease thecompressive force exerted by the spring 24 with the result that thespeed of rotation of the turntable and the record which is supportedthereon will be gradually increased, this speed atlever 21 operates withmaximum braking eftaim'ng its'maximum simultaneously as the nut members30-31 reach the upper limit of their travel and the reproducing needleapthis keeper extension 42 so that when ens gaged by the latter thekeeper is swung on its pivot 41 out of engagement with the enlargements4() of the pivotally connected arms 27 and 28 of the lever. The leafspring 29 then immediately effects relative separation of these armstofree the nut members 3031 from the screw 19 and the spring 45 thenpulls the lever back into its starting position.

During' this return movement of the lever '21 the free ends of the arms27 and 28 are forced inwardly toward each other by the action of aguiding device comprising a pair of inclined members 46 fixed inposition as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 7. The free ends of thearms 27 and 28 ride down between the mem ers 46 and when they have beenso forced together the base of the keeper 39 engages a lower stop member47, thereby causing the keeper to be swung on its pivot 41 into keepingengagement with the enlarge ments 40. The nut members 30-31 will thenhave come into threaded engagement with the lower threads on the screw19 such that upon starting the motor 13 the screw will again cause themembers 30-31 to ride upwardly thereon in the manner describedhereinbefore.

In o'rder to readily render the mechanism inoperative during therendition of a composition or at any other time the relatively longextension 43 on the keeper 39 is pro-- Vided, this extension beingpreferably projected outwardly through an arcuate slot 48 in the sidewall of the chamber 15 of the apparatus. By means of this arrangementthe projecting end or knob of the extenslon 43 may be employed to tripthe keeper 39 and so permit the pivotally connected arms 2728 to beimmediately forced apart by the action of the leaf spring 29. It will beevident that upon separation of the arms 2728 the nut members 3031 W111be removed from threaded engagement with the screw 19 so as to enablethe spring 45 to draw the lever 21 into initial starting position, themembers 46 and the stop 47 again cooperating with the free ends bf thearms 27-28 to reset the mechanism for further operation.

Figures 8 to .10 show modified arrangements of the speed controllingmechanism, the arrangements differing from that shown in Figures 2 and 3in that the lever 21 oscillates in a substantally horizontal planerather than in a vertical plane. In Figures 8 and 9 it will be seen thatthe'talking machine 50 is of the type wherein isemployed a speedregulator in the form of a centrifugal governor 51 suitably geared tothe shaft 52 of the turn-table 53. This governor 51 is provided with adisk 54 arranged for rotation with the governor but longitudinallyslidable with respect thereto, all in the manner Well'known in the art.By means of a worm 55 on the turntable shaft 52 and a' worm wheel 56arranged for entrainment with said worm a suitable drive is provided forimparting rotation to the main screw 57 supported for rotation-in anysuitable manner, as the shaft 52 is rotated, it being understood that inthis arragement the screw 57 lies with its axis substantially at rightangles to the axis of rotation of the turntable.

The lever 58 which cooperates with this screw 57 is similar insubstantially every respect to the lever 21 shown in Figures 2-7, theonly difference being in the form of the shorter branch 59 thereof.Instead of the spring pressed brake finger hereinbefore described, thisbranch 59 is provided with a laterally extending finger 60 arranged insuch manner that its free end bears constantly against the face of thegovernor disk 54. It will be apparent that as the lever 58 rides alongthe screw 57 this finger 60 will bear the cabinet, in this instance theslot 61-within v which the trip finger of the keeper moves is formed inthe top wall thereof.

While in-the arran ement first described the upper stop 44 (see igure 3)was relatively fixed,in the arrangement shown in Figures 8 and 9 thereis provided an adjustable stop 62 comprising a sleeve '63 adjustablelongitudinally along its axis by means of the bevel gears 64 and 65, thelatter being actuated by a thumb screw 66 projecting above the surfaceof the top wall of the cabinet and to one side of the turntable 53. Itwill be obvious that the provision of such an adjustable stop makes itpossible to automatically effect the resetting of the mechanism at anydesired point on the record, this being often desirable where thecomposition ends some distance from the center of the record. It is .tobe understood of course that the stop 44 shown in Figure 3 may be madeadjustable in substantially the same manner and for the same purpose.

Figures and 11 show still another arrangement wherein the regulatingmechanism acts directly upon the shaft of the turntable. This shaft 67is provided with an enlargement 68 against which the brakin member 69acts, the free end 7 0 of this mem er being of substantiallysemi-circular shape in order to provide a greater bearing surface. Itwill be noticed that in this arrangement the driving connection betweenthe turntable shaft and the main screw is identical with that shown inFigure 8, as are the resetting devices. On the other hand, the brakingmechanism is substantially similar in construction and in operation tothat shown and described in con nection with the arrangement shown inFigures 2 and 3, the only departure being that the brake member in thislatter instance acts I directly upon the turntable shaft rather thanupon the turntable.

Not only is it possible by means of the invention hereinbeforedescribed'to render compositions of considerably greater length than hasbeen practicable heretofore, but the invention also reduces the noiseand other disturbing sounds which are produced when the usual recordsare played, this noise being especially pronounced in these records whenthe reproducing needle is traveling in the outer runs of the playinggroove wherein the sound wave impressions average less in number perunit of length and are therefore spaced farther apart.- In the form ofrecord with which this invention is concerned, these soundwaveimpressions are uniformly spaced in the impression groove; that is,theiraveragenumher per unit of length is constant, and accordingly there isat no timeduring the rendition of the composition any considerable spacebetween sound wave impressions which must be passed over by thereproducing needle.

While several different arrangements have been shown and described, itwill of course be understood that still other arrangements may bedevised from time to time for attaining the results desired without,however, departing from the principles or spirit of this inventlon andit is accordingly intended to claim this invention broadly, as well asspecifically, as indicated in the appended claims. 1

What is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a talking machine, incombination, a turntable for supporting a record to be played by areproducing unit operatively associated therewith, power means forimparting rotation to said turntable, and means operated solely by saidpower means and independently of said reproducing unit for graduallyincreasing the speed of rotation of'said turntable as the reproducingunit travels from the outer periphery of said record to the centerthereof.

2. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be in limits upon rotation'of said screw,

played. power means for rotating said turntable at substantiallyconstant speed, and a regulating mechanism operable solely by said powermeans to gradually vary the speed of rotation of said turntable from alesser speed to said constant speed.

3. In a talking machine, in combination, a

turntable for supporting a record .to be played, power means forrotating said turntable at a definite speed, a screw driven by saidpower means, and means operable solely by the rotation of said screw tovary the rotative speed of said turntable.

4. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, power means for rotating said turntable, a screwdriven by said power means, a lever arranged for actuation by saidscrew,

and a brake member carried b said lever and arranged to control the specof rotation of said turntable, said lever being adapted to graduallydecrease the effective braking action of said member as said lever isactuated by said screw.

5. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, pow-er means for imparting rotation to saidturntable, a screw driven'by said power means, and a pivotally supportedlever, one arm of which is arranged to travel on said screw and theother arm of which operates as abrake to control the speed of rotationof said turntable, said speed being gradually increased as thecomposition playedupon said record approaches its end.

6. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, power means for imparting rotation to saidturntable, a rotatable screw driven by said power means, a speedregulating brake actuated through the rotation of said screw to permitthe speed of rotation of said turntable to be gradually increased,andmeans for automatically resetting said brake to exert maximum brakingeffort upon said turntable for supporting a record to be played, powermeans for imparting a definite speed of rotation to said turntable aspeed regulating mechanism consisting of a rotatablescrew driven by saidpower means and a pivoted lever arranged for oscillation withsaid leverbeing maintained in threaded engagement with said screw during theentire extent of its travel in one direction.-

8. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, power means for imparting a definite speed ofrotation to said turntable, a screw operatively associated with saidpower means for rotation thereby, and a lever pivotally suspended foroscil ation in the plane of the axis of said screw, one branchof saidlever comprising a pair of hinged arms provided with nut membersarranged for threaded engagement with said screw and means forconstantly maintaining said nut members with their common axiscoincidental with the axis of said screw.

9. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, power means for imparting a definite speed ofrotation to said turntable, a screw. operatively associated with saidpower means, for rotation thereby, and a lever pivotally suspended foroscillation in the plane of the axis of said screw, one branch of saidlever comprising a pair of hinged arms 'provided with nutmembersarranged for threaded engagement with said screw and means forconstantly maintaining said nut members with their commonaxiscoincidental with the axis of said screw, the other branchof saidlever being provided with a brake finger for regulating. the speed ofrotation of said turntable as said nut members travel I upon said screw.

10. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, power means for imparting a definite speed ofrotation to said turntable, a screw operatively associated with saidpower means for rotation thereby, a brake lever having threadedengagement with said screw and arranged to be shifted in position uponrotation of the latter, means for automatically to permit the speed ofrotation of said record to be increased to said definite speed as amaximum as the reproducing needle travels toward the center thereof.

13. In a talking machine, a rotatable turntable for supporting a discrecord wherein the sound wave impression for a given sound occupiesapproximately the same linear space throughout the length of the playinggroove and which record is adapted to be played by a reproducing needlearranged to travel in said groove, power means for rotating said tableand said record, and a. speed regulator mechanism operable by said powermeans independently of said needle for so controlling the speed ofrotation of the record that approximately the same interval of time isre-' quired for the needle to pass over any given length of a grooveirrespective of its radial distance from the center of the record.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

BERNARD KWARTIN.

effecting disengagement of said lever from said screw when the leverreaches the limit of its stroke, and means for automatically returningsaid lever to its normal starting position. i

11. In a talking machine, in combination, a turntable for supporting arecord to be played, power means for rotating said turntable, a screwoperatively associated with said power means for rotation thereby, abrake lever normally in threaded engagement with said screw forpermitting the speed of rotation of said turntable to be increased asthe lever travels upon said screw, said lever consisting of a pair ofpivotally connected arms, means tending to effect separation of saidarms, a keeper for maintaining said arms in threaded engagement withsaid screw, and a stop means'arranged to trip saidkeeper whereby topermit disengagement of said lever from said screw. c

12. In a talking machine, a turntable for supporting a disc recordwherein the sound wave impression for a given sound occupiesapproximately the same linear space throughout the length of the playinggroove and which record is adapted to be played by a reproducing needlearranged to travel in said groove, power means for rotating saidturntable and record at a definite speed, and v a regulator mechanismoperable by said power means and independently of saidneedle

